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The Many Lives And Deaths Of Dovey-Doo – Chapter Two

A bit of backstory about Dover.

Three years ago to the day of posting this, we moved our family across the country to a new home. It was a pretty drastic move for some of the family, and rightly so.

Teenaged girls, and an adult, that have been uprooted from the only life they know and transplanted in a brand new, small town with few familiar faces around is pretty traumatic, to say the least. I had moved several times and was already adapted to the area from years of working here, but everyone else was completely new to it.

Seeing as Blue was already established as my dog, we decided to get a friend for Blue and the rest of the family from the BCSPCA to utilize the fenced yard we now had. We took Blue into the pound and let him run around in the yard while they brought Dover out. They had a sniff of each other and then both peed on anything they could find.

Not overly friendly, but no aggression, so that’s a bonus.

Well, they weren’t fighting, so that was good. They seemed okay in each other’s presence, and everyone seemed to really take to Dover, so we started discussing adoption.

As we filled out the papers, they explained that Dover had some health concerns. He had some ear infections, gum infections, and he was fifteen pounds overweight. That may not seem like much, but he only weighed about fifty pounds, so it’s a pretty big percentage. He had breathing troubles and needed his gums rinsed with a solution from the vet every week or he might lose his teeth.

The day we got him. A little pudgier than he is now.

He also was obsessive with food and showed signs of mistreatment. That seemed okay, as long as he wasn’t aggressive. They assured us he wasn’t and they weren’t lying. He was the least aggressive dog I know.

The SPCA called after a few days and said that we were approved and could come and get him. He seemed grateful to be out of there, plus we got him and Blue new leashes and collars.

This was from the ride home.

When we got him home, there was much humping by Blue. Dover didn’t really like it, but he accepted his new role and even cleaned Blue’s dink for him.

A lot.

No, like it got uncomfortable to be in the room with them when they came in from outside. It makes me glad I had my lips pursed tight when he licked me with his hot, sheep manure tongue.

Anyhow, we learned quickly about his food obsession and his pissing on absolutely anything he could. Most notably Gerri’s photography equipment, our white, floor-length curtains, and a prized iPad. Right in the charging port while it was plugged in. No amount of rice in a bag was fixing that.

After some exercise and some good quality, not all-you-can-eat food.

He also hated going outside. I think it was because he couldn’t see if anyone was dropping food on the kitchen floor.

I shouldn’t say that he didn’t like going outside. If you took him somewhere at first, you had to be careful he just went.

One time, we decided to let him run down by the river in the early spring. He took off running and we got freaked out because he wouldn’t even turn around when we were screaming his name. We didn’t even know how he was doing it, as he is a foot tall and the snow was a foot and a half. Needless to say, it was easy to follow his tracks for the kilometre that he was somehow leaping. In the end, we had to carry him out of there. It was a gradual incline from the bottom of a hundred foot drop and over probably six waterfalls. I really didn’t think I was going to make it.

Guarding his recent kill.

Another time on our winter solstice trip to the Liard River Hot Springs we stopped to let everyone pee and to clean the windshield. As soon as the dogs hit the snow, they quickly pissed in the same spot and bolted. The speed was phenomenal and we yelled, but they didn’t even blink. It was -30C and we couldn’t take the chance of losing them for even an hour, so we jumped in and pinned it. We caught up to them in 1.5 kilometres. Just before the end of the plowed section we stopped at. We hit 90 km/hr trying to catch them.

For the last two years, Dovey would barely leave the couch, but we would take them out to the woods and letmake them run. The only way Dover would run around, was if we drove away. If we stopped, he stopped. We just got used to him never wanting to go anywhere that was not near his food.

Yin and Yang.

There were a few times that the gate was left open and Blue would take off, but we would find Dover sitting on the step, staring at the gate. It was like he was saying, “He went thatta way.”, and also proving what a good boy he was for guarding the pantry while Blue was away. He, of course, felt he deserved a treat for this and let you know by dancing excitedly by the treat cupboard when he came back in.

On the other hand, we did get him as a rescue because he ran away from his first home. I know it was probably a lot worse there, but he waited years to do it and was in a lot worse health then. Maybe he just gets bored and wants a change of scenery.

Who really knows? God?

I doubt it. I don’t think Dovey was a believer, at least not since he was living with us. I remember talking about The Rainbow Bridge to him and he was just like, “SNOOOOORT, CHUFALUFALUFA!”. Then he jumped off the couch and ran to the kitchen to get whatever just fell on the floor.

Jokes on you, Dovey-Doo. It was a chunk of onion.

In his element.

Well, Dover, I don’t know where you are, or what you’re doing, but I hope you have all the treats, couches, and sunbeams that you can handle.

I’m sorry you lost your dog. I guess roaming seems to be in his blood? I hope he decides to return home. By the way, it’s good to hear from you again. When I get a Change the Topic email it reminds me of my first years on the travel crew, when I started getting your writings emailed to me. It takes me back. Cheers, and my best to Dover, wherever life takes him. Hopefully back home to you, and hopefully soon, for his meds.